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A Microsoft distinguished engineer has provided some crucial information about how the firm intends to extend its dominance in office productivity software to devices in this "mobile first, cloud first" era. As you might expect, Microsoft will tailor Office to the platforms it targets, and not offer a lowest-common-denominator experience. But we already knew this. What's really neat about this talk is how effortlessly and pragmatically the firm has moved into this new era....More

Microsoft's amazing web-based app creator tool received a major update this week. Windows App Studio now supports Windows Phone app side-loading, 9 new languages, new page layouts for PCs and tablets, and much more....More

In the old days, the three years leading up to a major Windows release would be marked by subsequent trade shows: WinHEC first, for device and driver makers, then PDC for developers, and then TechEd for businesses and IT. But here in late 2014, each of those shows is gone. And if you were to place a bet on which would return, WinHEC would be the last choice. On that note, WinHEC is back. Of course....More

In a major—if penultimate—change to its developer program for Windows and Windows Phone, Microsoft this week dropped the annual registration fee from Windows Dev Center. Now, developers only have make a one-time registration payment of just $20 and they're granted lifetime registration and benefits....More

In a mad bid to quickly ramp up its new mobile app stores and catch up to Apple and Google, Microsoft has for the past four years quickly approved every app submission imaginable. But this foolhardy strategy has finally caught up with it: After years of complaints about low-quality and scam apps in its Windows Phone Store and Windows Store, Microsoft this week finally admitted it has a problem. And it is belatedly taking steps to fix a disaster of its own making....More

Last night, Microsoft released a "preview Windows image"—which I take to be a new version of the as-yet-unbranded "Windows for the Internet of Things" (Windows IoT)—aimed at a popular, off-the-shelf Intel x86 system-on-a-chip (SoC) development board. The effort is basically a proof of concept showing that the big boys—Microsoft and Intel in this case—can create miniature versions of their mainstream computing solutions aimed at a coming generation of ever-connected devices of all kinds....More

Last year, I took an actual vacation for the first time in over 10 years. It went well enough that I did so again this past week. But as it turns out, life—and the Internet--goes on without me. So here's a quick peek at some of the past week's developments that I missed writing about while I was away: Some Skype, OneNote Online, Windows Phone developer, Xbox One, and Call of Duty news, and more....More

Microsoft this week announced a set of developer-oriented initiatives that are part of the ongoing unification of the previously separate Windows 8.x and Windows Phone platforms. Key among them is a unified developer portal, 21 new payout markets, and an update to the Windows App Studio Beta....More

Microsoft announced a new as-yet-unnamed version of Windows aimed at the so-called Internet of Things during its Build 2014 keynote in April, triggering an avalanche of questions. And now, three months later, the firm has finally released its first SDK for Windows IoT, letting developers get an early peek at this unique environment. Does this release clear up any of the questions?...More

The first version of the Kinect for Windows was basically a science experiment, a way for developers to get up to speed on the motion sensor and its unique capabilities. But in the years since that release, no major Kinect apps ever appeared on Windows. Will next week's release of Kinect v2 for Windows—a device that is clearly based on the Xbox One version of Kinect—change things at all?...More

Surface Pro 3 has attracted interest from a wide range of new user types, including IT pros, business travelers, developers, creative professionals and more. But this expansion of the user base often results in obscure issues that impact certain users doing certain things. And here's a great example: The Hyper-V functionality in Windows 8.1 doesn't play nice with Surface Pro 3's Connected Standby functionality....More

While most Xbox One fans and users are currently focused on what is and is not in each month's system update, this isn't the only way that Microsoft keeps its new console up to date. At E3 earlier this month, the company announced a June 2014 update to its Xbox Development Kit, or XDK, as well. And this week, it finally explained how this release will improve performance in certain new games only....More

Mimicking Google Chrome, Microsoft this week launched its IE Developer Channel, giving web developers a chance to use coming IE platforms features before their general release. IE Developer Channel is a fully functional version of IE that can run alongside your existing IE version on Windows 8.1 and Windows 7 with Service Pack 1....More

Microsoft on Tuesday delivered the first Community Technical Preview (CTP) release of Visual Studio "14," a prerelease peek at its next developer environment. The final version will be renamed and is expected in early 2015....More

As HTML 5 evolves into a powerful computing platform in its own right, we're starting to see some pretty impressive web apps and, now, games. Today, Microsoft and Ubisoft announced that they have together created a new HTML 5-based demo version of the game "Assassin's Creed: Pirates," which is available for free now on the web....More

Interested in learning how to make apps for Windows Phone 8.1? Or are you just interested in software development in general? Either way, here's a great—and free—way to get it done, using two free new instructional video series from Microsoft and the software giant's amazing free development tools....More

Microsoft's announcement this week about a new universal apps infrastructure for Windows and Windows Phone—and, soon, Xbox One as well—goes a long way towards integrating these platforms for both developers and users. Here's what's happening....More

Tomorrow morning, I'll step onto a plane for the first time in a while and head off to San Francisco for a busy week of mind-melding with Microsoft at its Build 2014 conference. Here's a recap of what I expect to see at the show, plus a probably pointless list of things I'd like to see as well. Be sure to read this one carefully, as there is some new information....More

Next week in San Francisco, Microsoft will host the latest edition of its Build conference. A lot of exciting news should come out of this show, including information about future developments related to Windows, Windows Phone and Xbox One. But as developer show, Build is ideally suited—and well timed—for a long rumored event: Microsoft could be purchasing Xamarin, a firm that brings Microsoft's awesome developer technologies to rival platforms like Android and iOS....More

This week, Microsoft issued a major update to Windows Phone App Studio Beta, its web-based app builder for Windows Phone 8. And while there are many changes in this update, the big one, perhaps, is the ability to also generate a Windows 8 version of your app....More

One of the more intriguing aspects of the recent Windows Phone 8.1 leak is that this platform might support the creation of so-called Universal apps, similar to those in iOS, that run across both tablets (Windows RT 8.1 in this case) and smart phone (Windows Phone 8.1). With due deference to the game "Portal," however, I can report that Universal apps are a lie. At least from what I can tell....More

Last fall, Google announced its plan to bring native apps to its Chrome platform via a technology called Chrome Apps. But this week, the firm announced an arguably bigger step forward, with the introduction of Chrome Apps for Android and iOS....More

Now this is both interesting and unexpected. Microsoft today unveiled a new Xbox Music for Developers program, opening up Xbox Music to web and app developers. Through the new program, it's now possible for developers to create web and mobile apps with an amazing array of Xbox Music features....More

When you think about all the rumors about Windows Phone 8.1, the "Threshold" wave of products, and the expected changes we'll be seeing in Windows next year, the just-announced date for the developer focused BUILD 2014 conference becomes all the more exciting: It's happening in April 2014, earlier in the year than ever before. And that's great news....More

Lots of changes since July, including the return of my desktop PC tower, a new keyboard and mouse set, many new tablets, new phones, Windows 8.1, new noise- cancelling headphones, the Xbox One and much more....More

What I Use

Like many, I was hoping to see a new Lumia flagship before the end of 2014, and while I was pleasantly surprised in some ways by both the Lumia 735 and 830, neither offers the level of performance or best-in-market camera quality I had come to expected from Microsoft/Nokia's high-end devices. So I pulled the trigger on an unlocked Windows Phone flagship that will hopefully take me through at least the first half of this year. Or until Microsoft gets off its low-end fixation and satisfies the needs of its biggest fans....More

It's been a while since the last What I Use, but there haven't been many major changes since late last year: Surface Pro 3 has become my go-to travel companion, I've added a third cellphone line for testing Windows Phone, Android and iPhone side-by-side, and have rotated through some new tablets and other devices. We've also switched from FIOS to Comcast and added to our set-top box collection....More